


Dollhouse

by Anonymous



Series: Stuff I Just Won't Finish [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Gen, Inaccurate representation of medical stuff, Mental Health Issues, Schizophrenia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 12:04:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14852406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: When Loki is turned into a child by Dr. Doom, and released into the temporary costody of his brother ans the avengers, secrets about the Asgardian come to light, secrets even Thor should have known.





	Dollhouse

It started out exactly how one might have expected, given the general convolutedness of their lives. The Avengers and the Fantastic Four had been working together on an infiltration mission of Doom’s castle in Latvaria. Loki was expected to have been there of course, hence the team-up. And he was there of course, and a fight broke out when the hero’s were discovered, it was hard to say the least, but despite having a small army of robots and the home-field advantage, the villains stood no chance. And when Doom had gotten desperate, he’s turned on Loki, using his own magic on the sorcerer, and- to the absolute shock of everyone- managed to shrink Loki down to the age of what looked like seven in a mere few seconds. 

He’d held the unconscious boy as a shield, threatening to kill him if any move was made to stop him. The hero’s were immobilized more out of shock than actual desire to keep little-Loki alive, but Doom had still use their hesitation to his advantage and teleported away, leaving an unconscious child-sized Loki to drop to the ground with a heavy thud.

That was about twenty-four hours ago, and since then Loki had been taken to Shield’s headquarters in D.C., been determined to have absolutely no memories past his childhood nor any ability to perform magic, and then spotted and latched onto Thor who was designated to explain to very curious Loki a watered down version of exactly why his big brother was so much bigger and why on Earth they were on Earth. Then upon being released into Thor’s custody and take back the Avengers' Tower, had proceeded to be a flurry of nonstop energy.

He question everything around him, more often than not while one of the Avengers was in the middle of answering his previous question.

“What kind of contraption is that, it looks ancient.” he asked, yanking on Thor’s hand and pointing as they were presented with a limo to drive them back to New York.

“Its a car, Loki. It-” Thor started.

“What’s it do?” Loki interrupted as they started to pile in.

Thor chuckled. “It is going to take us to our friend Tony’s tower.”

“Does it go as fast and the bifrost?”

“No, kiddo-” Tony had laughed, as the car started going

“Is your tower as tall as my castle in Asgard?” Loki ask suddenly.

And on and on like that for a while, until Loki looked out the window and exclaimed “Ikol! What are you doing out there?!” At his exclamation the Avengers all turned to look out the window to see who Loki was shouting at. All except Thor, who smiled at the name.

When his friends turned their questioning gazes onto him, Thor explained. “Ikol was one of Loki’s many imaginary friends, his name is Loki’s backwards, and if I remember right, he is a crow. Is that right Loki? A crow?”

“No!!” Loki exclaims, offended. “Ikol’s a magpie Thor. Don’t be dumb.”

“Oh, I’m dumb am I? And what clever thing has Ikol decided to do?”

Loki looked out the window “searched” for Ikol and then yelled “Oh NO!! Thor! uh-” loki looked around until he spotted Steve “- Mr. Captain!! You have to stop him!! Ikol’s trying to break the wheels to the car!”

Thor laughs.

Steve’s never spent too much time with kids, but he does know how to play along, so because they were pretty much driving through the middle of nowhere at the moment, he used the intercom to tell the driver (who he already knew was listening in on the conversation anyway) to floor it.

“Have we gotten away from him yet?” Clint asked and Loki is too distracted by looking out the window at his bird, that he doesn’t answer. “Is anyone at all surprised that his imaginary friend is trying to kill us?” Clint asked the group humorously. 

And that’s how they got where they were now. Sitting in the living room of the their tower (with Pepper, who had joined them upon their arrival), at two-thirty in the morning, long long after they'd gotten home, nursing cups of coffee, just watching the child go, and go, and go, and go.

“My God, Thor, was he always this hyperactive?” Pepper asked in exasperation, as Loki ran around and around the room because “Fenrir the wolf would eat him if he caught him”.

Fenrir, Thor informed them, was another of Loki’s imaginary friends who was a giant man-eating wolf. Even if no one wanted to admit it, they all thought it was adorable watching a man as serious and high-strung as Loki be reduced to a child who played with his imaginary friends. Until it went on long past the time any normal child should've crashed-and-burned, and the adults were ready to themselves.

“Aye,” Thor confirmed with a smile “At his age, Loki was indeed the most active amongst all of our friends. Even though he was the youngest, he could alway keep going long after we’d stopped for the day. It was usually only when Father came to get him in the evenings from where ever he’d ended up that he would stop. I think I even remember being jealous that Loki was given a sleeping draught at night to ease his rest, and I was not.” Thor laughed to himself.

“So you parents drugged him?” Tony asked like it was the most hilarious thing he’d ever heard. 

"Not truly drugged, but…” Watching Loki start another lap around the room Thor finished with “Wouldn’t you?”

Loki ran to Thor then, and threw himself down on the couch between he and Natasha, "Okay” Loki said still moving, bouncing up and down and up and down. “Fenrir left so we’re safe now.” No one heard the quietly muttered “but I don’t think Pabbi is…” as Loki started gulping down the glass water one of the adults had handed him.

After that Loki’s seemed to settle down, and so everyone retired to bed. Thor took Loki to his own room for the night and everything was running smoothly, he managed to get Loki changed into a pair of pajamas Pepper had bought him online and had delivered (along with many other changes of clothes), and had had Loki’s teeth brush and he’d had Loki laying down. Everything was going perfectly until he’d walk over and turned the lights off.

Thor didn’t remember Loki ever being afraid of the dark (then again he never remembered Loki being very lucid by the time their mother tucked them in and turned off the lamps that hung around their nursery due to the sleeping draught anyway), but the way Loki screamed one might have though the darkness had physically attacked him. Thor quickly turned the lights back on, seeing Loki sitting up with the covers completely thrown off.

“What’s the matter with yo-” Thor started in frustration. He was too tired to deal with anymore of Loki’s games.

“Don’t turn off the lights or else he’ll come and get me!” Loki screamed, pulling the blanket up to his chin, looking around the room frantically. Thor supposed he was looking for whoever he thought was after him.

“Who will come and get you Loki?” Thor asked, frustration instantly replaced with worry, as he walked back over to sit next to his brother, rubbing the boy's back gently.

“The Other… He’s-he’s a really scary man in a hood wi-ith grey skin and six fingers, and-and he follows me around all the time… he tries to take me away at night. He wants me to fall...”

Loki’s words troubled Thor. He’d never hear of such a man, and wasn't sure if this was just Loki’s imagination getting away from him, or a nightmare he’d had, or some remnants of his adult memories from an enemy he’d face without Thor, but Thor knew his fear of darkness and falling was probably from his adulthood. Likely the only way his childish mind knew how to describe The Void. But Thor knew more than anything at the moment that right now, any child would need sleep, so he said,

“You need to sleep Loki, so I will leave the bedside lamp on-” he turned around and turned the lamp on “- and I promise that if anyone should come for you I will see them and I will end them. I will let no monsters harm you tonight or any night. Is that okay?” he asked, going to turn the main light back off. Loki only shrugged in response, but made no argument when the big light was shut off, or when Thor laid him down, and pulled the covers over them both. “and,” he said, pulling Loki’s slightly shaking form into his arms “I will hold onto you so you cannot fall ever again”

Thor’s last thought before he managed sleep himself was how he was definitely going to get the sleeping draught from his father as soon as possible.  
\--------  
Loki woke up early the next morning, practically with the sun and, wiggling out of his snoring brother's grasp, decided to explore while all of the adults slept.

Twenty minutes later Jarvis had to wake everyone up to informing them that Loki had found his way down to the balcony and appeared to be dangerously interested in looking over the side of the four-foot glass wall that surrounded the balcony. The adults had all rushed out, joining in the hallway and frantically crowded into the same elevator. When they made it to the balcony, they were in time to see the heart stopping sight of Loki balancing on the balcony wall, one leg already hanging over the other side.

Loki’d been frozen there for the last few minutes, too scared to move once he’s gotten up, not even to get down, but when his brother had come he’s started crying and as soon as Thor pulled him off the edge he wrapped his arms around his brother’s neck in a vise-like grip and refused to let go, even once they'd all retreated into the building.

“Loki, what in the Hel, were you thinking?” Thor demanded, after sitting down on the couch with his friends. He pulled Loki away when his little brother didn't respond, so Loki had to look at him. “Why were you climbing over the side like that? Do you know you could’ve killed yourself?!”

Loki looked down and sticking his thumb in his mouth, mumbled something unintelligible. Having lost his patience, Thor grabbed Loki’s wrist and pulled his thumb from his mouth. “Speak clearly.” he ordered.

“Narfi and Vali made me do it…”

“Narfi and Vali? Are those more of your imaginary friends? Loki you can’t-”

“They’re not imaginary!” Loki screamed, hitting Thor in the face with his one free hand. He tried to do it again, but when Thor caught that hand too, he began thrashing and screaming, and trying even harder to hurt his older brother.

“Loki stop this, calm down, no one is going to hurt you! What are you doing Brother!?” Thor yelled trying to keep his grip on his little brother, while the other avengers- minus Natasha, who stepped aside to make a call, and Bruce who was simply removing himself from the situation all together- watched in horror, ready to leap in if Loki got away, or seem too much for Thor.

“Yes you are, yes you are, yes you are! You’re trying to kill me!!! Let! Me! Goooo! AAAHHRGGG!” The fit continued for several more minutes, at one point he even managed to get off Thor’s lap, but with his wrists still secured in Thor’s grasp, all his older brother had to do was spin him around, and he was once again in his brother’s lap, this time with his back to Thor’s chest, and his arms completely restricted. The last good hit he managed to get in was a wild headbutt to Thor’s nose before he finally finally started calming down.

“Thor,” Natasha walked back over when Loki was only breathing hard, and lightly kicking every once and a while, “I’ve just called Shield-”

“What?! No, please-this is only a fit! I will talk with him! Call them back Natasha! Tell them all is fine!” Thor begged still struggling to hold Loki, but not wanting to lose his little brother again so quickly.

“No Thor, they're not coming to get him. I called because that isn't a fit and you know it. He tried to jump off the building I’m pretty sure he’s having a psychotic episode. I called the head of the Psychiatric Ward, and they’re sending someone up to check him out, that’s all.”

“God only knows why they didn't in the first place.” Tony mutters.

“Thor,” Loki says suddenly wiggling in his brother’s grasp “Why are you hugging me so tightly?”

“You can let him go Thor. Tony stay here with Loki- show him the Wii, put in one of the exercise games or something while Thor cleans up his face, and you two-” she said to Clint and Steve and she walked with Thor out the door “-don’t let Loki leave your sight, and don’t let him leave this room.” they nodded.

Thor worried for a second that Loki would follow he and Natasha simply because she wanted him not too, but when he turned back at the doorway, Loki was already completely distracted by Tony’s game system, and probably wouldn’t even notice his brother had left for a little while.

“So what exactly is a “psychotic episode” Tasha?” Thor asked as he started washing the blood from his face “I have heard the word psychotic used to describe my brother many times since I have been on Midgard, but the way you used it, it was less the insult it always seems.”

“A psychotic episode- or a psychosis…it’s a loss of touch with reality- it can last for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.” she hesitates, know this might be something that could be said about the adult Loki.

“Weeks?! You mean this is likely to happen again?” Thor questions.

“Yeah... I mean, if its is a psychosis , I only think so because some of the signs are disorganized thoughts, like how he couldn't keep focus on anything yesterday. Delusions too, are a sign and sometimes disassociated fits of violence.”

“Delusions… you mean how he believes there is a man that follows him, and comes to kidnap him when the light go off? And how he believed I was trying to kill him just now and then attacked me?” Thor asked grabbing a dry towel to wipe his face.

“Yeah… Now what about a man?”

“Last night when I turned out the lights he screamed like he was being attacked, and then told me it was because a…” he tried to remember exactly what his brother had said, “six fingered… grey skinned... hooded man was going to hurt him in the dark. I was too tired last night to care much, but now I am think it was something more?”

Natasha only said that that was interesting, because she didn't want to worry Thor, but this was beginning to sound much worse with every little action Loki did.

When they arrive back in the common room Loki is holding the wii remote in his left hand, and doing rapid half-formed jumping-jacks in front of the big screen TV, and the four men (seeing as Bruce had reappeared while they had been gone) were sitting on the couch watching him go.

“So…?” Bruce prompts after the other two had sat down.

“For now I’m thinking psychosis. Possibly brought on by the trauma of Doom’s spell.” Natasha says.

“Really?” Bruce questions, turning to watch Loki, who was now running in place for some racing game he’d found “I mean I guess that’s one explanation for the hyperactivity and everything, but what about-”

“That,” Natasha interrupted pointedly, “is a diagnosis I’d rather have the Psychiatrist make.”

Just then Pepper entered the living room, having finished dealing with an emergency in the offices down stairs, and stops when she sees everyone “What are you all doing up? It’s only like what-” she checks her watch “-seven-thirty?”

“The Energizer Bunny over there tried to jump over the edge of the balcony earlier.” Tony says “Hey Lokster, how long were you up before we got you off the balcony?” 

“The… sun… was… rising…” Loki said in between touching his hands to his feet. No activity seeming to entertain him for more than a few minutes before he was bored and moved on to the next one, and this was no exception. He stopped touching his toes, and went back to look through the list of activities unaware of the adults growing concern.

“Oh my god! Is he okay?” Pepper exclaimed, horrified.

“Yeah- I mean physically. He wasn't trying to kill himself exactly... His imaginary friends told him to do it Pep.”

“Oh,” Pepper breathed in realization, then looks at Thor, and turns to leave “I’m calling the kitchen to bring up breakfast!” she says from far down the hall.

“They’re not imaginary friends are they?” Thor asked grimly, afraid of the answer, but more afraid for his little brother.

“...Probably not.” Bruce was the one to answer. “Or at least the two that made him try to jump this morning. They’re probably hallucinations, but it’s doubtful Loki would know the difference anyway. He may have even thought it was a game.”

“Hey Loki, were you playing a game on the balcony this morning?” Steve asks the boy.

“Yeah, me and Vali and Narfi were gonna fly.” Loki answered, flipping through the activity menu again. “Vali pushed Narfi over and then jumped and they were flying and I was gonna go too, but I got scared, and they keep screaming for me to go ‘cause I was being a stupid chicken and trying to pull me off, but then Stóri Bróðir came and it was too late.” he elaborates, the name he uses in reference to Thor having the older brother’s heart swelling because Loki hasn’t called him Brother in so long, let alone Big Brother, but then the rest of Loki’s words register, and his heart not only sinks, but drown on fear and sorrow and guilt. Thor remembers Loki telling tales like this when they were younger, of how he and his imaginary friend has done this, or tried that. And Thor remembers calling his brother a liar quite a few times as a result...

“Yeah Jarvis buddy, restrict Loki’s access to the balcony… and anywhere without an adult.” The adults in question, though none of them spoke out loud, were all thinking the same thing: If they had been one second slower, or Loki hallucinations one bit stronger, they would have lost him. Just like that. It terrified them.

“Well, I say we stop freaking ourselves out about this and leave the answer to the doctors.” Clint says in a mildly disturbed tone.

They all readily agreed, but even when they tried to distract themselves, they still ended up just watching Loki, who, to his credit, stayed relatively focused on the game until Pepper reappeared with two men pushing carts of food.

Thor stands with his friends, but doesn’t move to the kitchen with them, instead says “Pause the game and come eat, Loki.”

“Uuuhh... No!” Loki denied happily without looking away from the screen.

This is where Thor realises that he doesn’t get to just be Loki older brother right now, and that he isn't just watching Loki for the time being, but that he is going to have to be a parent. Loki is a child, and right now not liking in the right state of mind, and so is not going to take care of himself. Thor is going to have to. Loki hasn't eaten in over a day, and while he’s makes no complaint of it, Thor knows he needs to, so he says more sternly “Loki. Pause the game and come eat. Now.”

Loki turns to Thor with an offended look and says, “You're not Pabbi, you can’t tell me what to do.” and goes back to running in place.

Thor is not a parent. He does not know how to handle this, but he does know that Loki will not respond well if Thor were to pick him up and carries Loki into the kitchen like he so desperately wants to do. So he decides to try one more thing before he has to joins his friend with Loki over his shoulder.

“Loki do you know what realm we are in?”

 

“Midgard?” Loki asks still running.

“Yes, and do you remember what Father said about how we have to follow the laws of whichever realm we are on. Even though we are royalty?”

“Yeeeeaaaah. We have tooooo… "set a good example as representative of Asgard."” Loki answers still running.

“Right, well on Midgard, when a child, like yourself, has no parent to claim them, they are left in the care of the next of kin who is of legal age, that being me. According to Midgardian Law, unless Father or Mother arrives, I am in charge of you. So I can tell you what to do.”

“So?” Loki asks, sounding genuinely lost.

Thor isn’t sure if Loki is pretending to forget what they are talking about, or if he really has, but he is hungry, and sleep deprived, and because no one can say he didn't at least try to use reason, Thor walks around the coffee table. He comes up from behind Loki and hauls him up over his shoulder, and starts walking toward the kitchen.

“Heeeyyy!! Put me down Stóri Bróðir! Put. Me. Down!” Loki screams, but he doesn’t become any more violent than a few little kicks.

“You are not Pabbi, you can't tell me what to do.” Thor laughs, mimicking Loki’s words.

\---  
The breakfast the chefs cooked up had an abundance of everything, from bacon and sausage links to eggs and pancakes and waffles to oatmeal and grits. Loki had mercifully calmed down once he’d seen that everyone was sitting at the table with their own plates full. He insisted on sitting in between Bruce and Clint though, and had ignored Thor most obviously.

Loki didn't eat much of his food either, though Pepper was kind enough to make him a plate, and had put a little bit of everything on it for him to try. He just sort of pick at it, occasionally eating a bite, if someone reminded him that's what he was supposed to be doing with his food. At one point he did do something strange. He let out a terrified little scream and used his fork to fling the bacon and sausage- which had so far gone untouched- off his plate a good foot away.

"Loki?" Thor asked, he would be mad at the behavior of his brother, but with the supposed state of his mind, and the fact that he'd screamed, the older brother was instantly in a state of worry.

"They're moving!" Loki screamed, eyes wide and glued to the pile of meat. Or at least they were until they flickered to the plate of food, and he yelped, jumping in his chair. “what’ve you done to it- you're trying to killed me!”

 

Natasha’s the first to react, getting up with a sigh and taking the plate and the discarded meat away from the table.

"No one's done anything to the food, Little Dude," Clint tried to joke, not having any idea how to deal with a delusional child.

"Yes you did, They told me so!" Loki accuses before hopping out of his chair and running to the living room.

Thor, and Natasha because she is already standing, follow Loki into the living room right away, and find him standing in the middle of the room, following something he sees moving across the floor.

Thor decides then, perhaps a bit prematurely, that he like Loki’s hallucinations- or whatever he’s seeing now- better than he like’s his delusions, because when he’d followed Natasha in here, he’d expected Loki to start another “episode”, or something equally as frightening. But whatever is crawling around on the floor has Loki distracted and still. Then he thinks that this stillness might not be all that better, given his usually activeness.

“Loki, do you hear me” Thor asks as he walks around to face his brother. “What are you seeing?”

“Some of Jörmungandr.” Loki answers, looking up “Will you pick me up Stóri Bróðir, I don't want him to find me.” and he raises his arm at Thor.

Thor readily complies, and walks over to the couch, sitting on the armrest next to Natasha who is typing away on a tablet. “What do you mean that you see “some” of yorgramand? What does he look like?” he asks at Loki’s eyes start tracing the floor again, and this time he notices the fear.

“His name his “YOR-MUHN-GAND”” Loki whispers, “and he is a sea serpent who came out of the sea because he wants tie me up and burn my eyes out, and he is so so so big that not all of him fits in one room. His head's over there through that wall, so he can’t see me now, and… and…. umm…” he pauses for a long time. “I’ve forgotten what I was saying.”

Natasha gets up then, says "I'll be back," and walks into the kitchen.

She walks back into the kitchen and sat back at her chair. She didn't say anything for a minute.

"I didn't hear screaming," Clint prompts, like it’s some kind of improvement.

"Is he okay Nat?" Steve asks.

"Define okay," she answered, then goes on. "He got distracted by another hallucination, and when Thor asked him to describe it, he started describing a giant sea serpent, and forgot what he was talking about halfway through his sentence. I’m emailing Shield, they're sending someone today. This afternoon." she finishes with determination.

"With Thor out of the room, am I allowed to suggest Schizo-?" Bruce asks grimly.

"I'd prefer if you didn't" Natasha answers haughtily.

"Are you okay, Nat?" Pepper asked.

"Yes-no... It's just I've seen schizophrenia at its worst, and it’s just watching it is scary enough, and I just don't want to see a child go through that..." her voice is strained.

"My friends!" Thor calls suddenly. And every one is out of there seats instantly "I think you might wish to see this!"

They all rush in, expecting to see Loki doing something horrible; hurting himself, or hurting Thor, or seizing. What they see instead is Loki, calmly- or, more like listlessly- sitting in Thor's lap eyes still trailing the floor, and Thor's eyes glues to the TV.

It’s been turned onto the morning news, and they're playing a blurry video of Loki balancing on the side of the building that looks like it was take from inside the building across the street.

“And here, you can see the little boy looking back and forth between the balcony and the ground and- oh thank God,” the newscaster says in relief at the point when Thor rushes up and pulls Loki off the side.

“And no one knows who that little boy is?” a woman says as they cut back to the studio.

“No, but one has to wonder what a child of that age was is doing with the Avengers, given the dangers of their line of work?”

“I’ll... call Tony’s Publicist. Call me if you need anything.” says Pepper before leaving to her office down stair.

Shit. They’re gonna have to explain this to the public.  
\----

The next hour Loki doesn't leave the couch, even when he gets off Thor’s lap, he runs back and forth on the admittedly long seat, but he's completely convinced that if he gets down, Jormungandr will find him. He says when asked that the sea serpent has filled up more of the room looking for him, and that most of the of the floor and the walls are covered with it’s body weaving in and out of the boys sight.

After that it’s Narfi, Vali, and apparently Ikol, who hold his attention. He runs around as if he had just spent all that time on the couch for no reason. Around two o’clock Ikol attacks Loki, “tried to peck holes in Loki’s head” because Loki hadn't done something (they couldn't understand Loki through his screaming) Ikol had wanted him to, but he’d been hitting himself in his attempts to hit the magpie.

Clint had been the first one to reach him, and been sucker punched in the shoulder once in the process of restraining him. Loki thrashed and screamed in the archer hold.

“C’mon Little Dude you're okay, I promise,” Clint was sitting on his ass at this point with his arms looped under Loki, pulling them away from his head. He has to lean back before Loki slam his head into Clint’s face.

“Plea-eeaaasse. I can’t understand you.” Loki cries and Thor, who was sat down in front of Loki now, puts his hands on Loki’s head, just loosely enough he won’t hurt Clint or himself.

“Who can’t you understand?” Thor tries to pull Loki’s attention out of his head.

“Thor help me!” he screams, but he doesn't look at Thor.

“Thor! Thor! Thor! Thooor!”

“I’m right here Loki! Look at me!- Clint let him go.” he orders, careful to keep Loki’s arms secure as he pulls him into to his lap, ignoring the scratch Loki’s managed to get down the right side of his own face as he presses Loki’s head to his shoulder.

“Thor Thor Thor….” 

By then the other avengers had come around, and looking up Thor whispers helplessly “What do I do? He never behaved this way, I would remember this!” 

No one knows how to answers. Only Natasha has any experience, and even that is minimal.

“I wanna go home,” Loki says, and Thor thinks he’s coming back. Thor hopes he’s coming back. “I want Mamma…”

“I know,” Thor says, “I know.”

Thor decides then that he will take Loki back to Asgard. He had been debating, thinking he could keep Loki here with him, at least until he could explain to his father. But now he will risk it. What ever reaction his father will have, what ever reaction Asgard will have. Loki wants to go home, so whatever he has to do, Loki can have what he wants, just as soon as it's safe.

“You just have to speak with a Heal-”

“Mamma Mamma Mamma…” Loki tried pushing himself away from Thor, but only for a second before he went slack again. He still wasn't listening.

“Where is your damned “psychiatrist”” Thor hisses. “He needs help!”  
.  
“I’ll- I’ll call him...” Natasha stutters, hastily walking into the kitchen.

Bruce followed her, intent on making tea, or a sandwich or something just to busy himself.

Natasha comes back a little later, and tells them the psychiatrist was nearly there. Tony sends an email to the front desk then, telling them to send one Doctor Enes Osman up as soon as he arrived.

Within the hour it took Dr. Osman to actually arrive Thor has moved with Loki to the couch, and Loki had cried himself to sleep. Most of the Avengers had excused themselves earlier that day to shower and dress, but Thor had not in fear of leaving his brother, and it was only after Loki had fall asleep, and a promise was made that Jarvis would inform him immediately if anything happened, that he left to attend to himself. 

And of course that was when the Dr. Osman showed up.

He greeted everyone in a deep Turkish voice, and sat across the coffee table from Natasha, Steve, and Loki who sleeps in between them his head in Natasha’s lap.

“I was told it was a possible psychosis? Brought on by the trauma of a magic spell?” Dr. Osman asked, though not sounding too surprised.

“That’s what we were thinking this morning…” Clint starts from his spot next to Nat when all she does is continue meticulously wiping a wet rag over Loki’s face. He doesn’t want to be the one to explain this. He doesn’t know how.

“How long has he been asleep? The report said he was experiencing manic amounts of energy and that the last time he slept was only for about four hours and when he woke he wasn't tired in the slight."

"It's only been about twenty minutes." Bruce said "he cried himself out after one of his... well we think they're all hallucinations at this point, attached him.”

 

“All?”

“Yeah, there’s at least…” Bruce counts in his head “five vis- no six visual ones.”

Thor steps around the corner then, in a pair of black slacks, a dark blue button-down, and black dress shoes. His hair is sopping wet and he looks barely any better than he did before he left.

“Ah, Prince Thor, there you are.” Dr. Osman leans forward as Thor sits at Loki’s feet (Steve had moved over when he arrived) and they shake hands.

They discuss things for a little while, the Avengers answer question while Dr. Osman scribbles on some papers. At one point Dr. Osman asks if Tony had footage of Loki’s episodes and Tony played the footage from this morning on the TV- from one of his cameras, not the footage from the news. He leave the volume low.

Dr. Osman takes down more notes. He asks to see the rest of the footage. He scribbles more note as he watched yesterday’s event unfold.

He pauses the video when everyone leaves for bed.

“Did he do anything when you put him to bed Thor?” Osman asked.

“Not until I turned out the lights. He screamed that a man with six fingers, and grey skin, in a hood named “The Other” was going to attack him. I left the bedside lamp on, and he made no further argument, though I think he was quite scared still.”

The doctor nods, then resumes playing the gathered footage. The next clip is of this morning, it shows Loki poking his head out of Thor’s bedroom door, looking around then looks up and seems to focus on something just in front of him, “Hella!” he whisper-shouts.

…

“Make them go away first.” he says then watches something happen down hall, then looks back at “Hella” “that’s not fair, they're still here.”

…

“Hhmmm” he hums in indecision, then smiles and runs off down the hall toward the elevators. He checks behind himself several times before he reaches the elevator, and pressed the down button several times when he reaches it, looking back where he’d come from laughing a little.

When the elevator opens he darts in, but when the door closes all he does is look around in confusion.

“Uhh… Well I don’t remember how I make it work.” he presses the his finger to the touch pad, and it comes to life offering him a list of places, such as offices, meeting rooms, or kitchens, instead of generic floor numbers (Tony had thought this would be a better system for newbies who couldn't remember what was on which floor). 

Loki presses the “Kitchens” option.

“You aren't not authorized to access that level.” Jarvis stated over the intercom.

Loki looks around, but doesn't seem overly distressed when he can't find a source for the voice. Instead he asks where he can go, and Jarvis moves the boy to the common room.

The event of the rest of the day play out on screen just as the adult remember it, and when it's over Osman asks “Is there a history of mental illness in you're family?” and flips to another page in his notes.

“Nothing that wasn’t battle-caused. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, you’ve named it? But if you are thinking Loki’s mental states was past down through blood, then I must inform you he was adopted, and I know nothing of the mental health of his birth family.” Thor says, wishing he could be more helpful. “But I thought this was a… something brought on by this spell?”

“Well I would've thought, but you said yourself, he has had these imaginary friends in his original childhood. He is too familiar with them, they weren’t induced by the spell” 

 

“Then what exactly is it?”

 

“Well given the situation, I would say Childhood onset Schizophrenia, probably the Disorganised subtype.” he says it like each new word out of his mouth is an apology for the last.

Dr. Osman explains exactly what Schizophrenia is, and that Childhood Onset just mean in develops in the child, at a much younger age than normal.

“Y’know that’s a pretty quick diagnosis there Doc,” Clint raises an eyebrow sceptically.

“it's my job, to diagnose things “Pretty Quick”. Otherwise I would not be working for Shield, now would I?” Dr. Osman replies with a little bit of cheek.

“So if he had voices in his head telling him what to do as a kid, you think they were telling him what to do last year during the invasion and all this time he’s been missing” Tony asks.

“That’s not funny Tony!” Natasha hissed.

“No, no I’m serious, like what if?” Tony answers back, sitting up. “I mean, I hate everything Loki’s done as much as the next guy, and I’m not trying to give him excuses, but it would be wrong not to think of all the possibilities, so what if he’s got, say, voices saying “daddy doesn't love you” and “Big Brother so much better, you can't even rule a kingdom” “ and “go and kill them all” “go and make the puny mortal kneel” and… I mean just put that with Loki’s powers and… and I just… what if he needed help the whole time?” he trails off, watching Loki sleep.

 

“But Thor said himself, Loki wasn't like this before.” Clint interjects, not in a way of denial, but just to get it out there.

“When you said you didn’t know anything about mental illnesses, you did mean just yourself?” Dr. Osman asks suddenly.

“I meant myself or course.” Thor answers giving him a look. That was the stupidest question the mortals had yet to ask him. “Æsir are not immune to everything, my friend, healing was just never that interesting to me.”

“So would it be likely your doctors would know about Schizophrenia? And how do deal with it, maybe enough that you, as a child, wouldn’t have noticed anything amiss?”

Thor thinks for a minute.

“I suppose that is possible. Possibly he was taking remedies his whole life? I won’t be surprised if I simply never noticed.” Thor feels incredibly guilty that this is a very possible thing. That his brother was suffering his whole life, and Thor never even took notice.

“So he got off his meds and when batshit on New York?” Tony asks.

Thor does not mention how Loki went “Batshit” in Asgard first, or the long period of time he spent alone in the void. Possibly alone with his hallucinations.

“Would this be a bad time to mention that everyone, including me, under Loki’s mind control spell were taking more orders from uh, someone who was telling Loki what to do through what I thought was telepathy?” Clint interrupts guiltily. “I wrote everything down in my report, but basically before the battle of New York, Loki uh... did a lot of sitting on some steps in our little underground base and talking to, well someone- keep in mind I was sorta reprogrammed not to question anything, and I did just watch the guy come out of a wormhole and all, and I just thought there was some higher up talking with him through telepathy…”

“You know, personally I think I would’ve mentent that a little earlier Clint.” Steve snaps rudely.

“Well there's still is that possibility,” Bruce says. “I mean we know for a fact that Loki had to be found by someone in The- Thor you called it The Void right?”

Thor nods

“Right, see otherwise he wouldn't have gotten the chitauri army or the scepter. He may have just talking with their leader then.”

“Yeah, but then how do you explain him looking around, like he was watching someone walk around, or the one time he jerked his head away, and had this painted face, like he’d just been hit.”

Anyone can claim Clint hates Loki for everything the alien made him do, and they’d be absolutely right. But they can never say that he would ever let that get in the way of his sense of justice. If it wasn't Loki’s fault, then it wasn't Loki’s fault and they needed to know.

Dr. Osman turned to Thor then “Would it be possible for you to go to Asgard and ask you parents about it? It’s starting to seem like knowing for certain would mean a lot more than just helping you take care of him. You may actually have a case for when you take this to the public.” he says the last part in reference to the footage he’s seen of them realising they’d have to talk to the media.

“Yes, but I won’t be going anywhere without Loki, and if I take Loki to Asgard, I won’t be bringing him back. My Father likely wouldn’t allow it, and neither do I think, would Loki. Would it not be better if my Father came here? Then you could speak with him in person.”

“Well yes, that and a long conversation between Loki and I, and you should have a solid case.” He hands a business card to Bruce on his left. “Here’s a number you can reach me at if I’m not here when your father arrives, I’ll be ready any time.” 

“You sound like you want to clear Loki’s name Dr. Osman.” Steve comments, confused.

“Not so much clear his name, as have “Asgardian patient” on my resume. But if it also happens to help him out in other ways, Loki wouldn’t be the first one in this room alone that got himself a second chance would he?

“For now you all are doing everything you can, as even with a diagnosis, I can't safely recommended any medication for an alien child.”

“Are you leaving Dr. Osman?” Thor asks as the doctor shuffles through the papers in his suitcase.

“Not just yet, I still have to speak with your brother, but I don’t want to wake him now. I thought I’d put everything up until then.”

They turn the TV on to some nonsense show and chat for a while, and when Loki wakes up less than an hour later he is, unsurprisingly, very energetic. Osman manages to introduce himself to Loki (to which Loki introduced himself as “Prince Loki of Asgard, The Realm Eternal” in the least threatening way any of them have ever heard him introduce himself). The Avengers move to a lower floor- Thor more reluctantly than the rest- when Dr. Osman ask to speak with Loki alone. They all keep somewhat busy in the game room for the hour Dr. Osman has requested.

In that hour Dr. Osman learn that Loki’s hallucinations included the already known Ikol the Magpie who liked steal and lie and pecks at his head if Loki tried to stop him, Fenrir the giant wolf who wants to eat Loki, and The All-Father, and the sun.

Then there was Hella, who was a young half living, half dead Aesir women. Loki claimed that she was his best friend, because she was queen of the dead. The little prince explained reluctantly that there were corpses and spirits haunting him, trying to steal his body and that Hella has the power to banish them. When she wants to he says. When Dr. Osman ask what she had done this morning, Loki didn't question how he’s known Hella was there, only explained that she had challenged him to a race, and he had won.

After much trouble- as Loki paid very little attention to the psychiatrist, and put even less effort into explaining when he did give an answer- Osman learns that Vali and Narfi are twins and are humanoid most of the time but Vali sometimes liked to turn into a wolf himself and chase Loki, much like Fenrir. Loki admitted that the twins have a habit of coercing him into doing things he shouldn’t. Dr. Osman even learns that they made him cut some girl named Sif’s hair when they’d all still been young enough to nap together.

Then Dr. Osman tried to get Loki to speak about the one he called “The Other”.

Loki was the most difficult with this one, as the boy believed The Other was stalking him, and always, always watching. Loki was scared that if he spoke, then The Other would take him away and punish him. He didn't ask more after that, not wanting the aggravate the child, and before he leaves, as his hour is running out Loki actually turns to look at him instead of the paper he was coloring.

“Are you a healer? Like Lady Eir?” Loki asks sceptically. The question surprises Osman, as Loki has barely paid him any attention, despite being the only other one in the room.

“Yes, sort of. I’m a psychiatrist, I help heal people's minds.” he says simply.

“I thought so,” he says and goes back to coloring with the markers Osman had given him. “that’s what Lady Eir does with my mind. And she heals broken bones. Once I even got to see her make a soldiers face better- it had lots of burns on it.”

“How does she heal your mind?” Dr. Osman asks, because this is definitely something he needs to know about. If there’s already a doctor that knows what going on then Loki might knows more then it seemed.

“She gives me a nasty tasting medicines in the mornings. Then I take one at night. I don’t have to take them here though. I want to go home though. I miss my Pabbi and my Mamma.”

“Do you know what the medicines do to help your mind Loki? It’s very important I know, so I can help you too.” 

Loki looks down at his paper, then back up at the psychiatrist and smiling says “You're it!” and roughly shoves Osman- though he thinks it’s simply because Loki is Aesir, and much stronger than him, and not because he wants to cause injury- and starts running, jumping over the back of the couch.

“Loki, no, I need you to-” the alarms Osman had set went off then, telling him his hour was up. “Lanet.” he swore under his breath. He knew the others would be coming back up now, and Loki knew this too(he’s explained that when the alarm when off, his brother and the others came back, and they wouldn’t have to talk again until tomorrow)

There was a little gasp from behind the couch before Loki’s head popped up and he said “you said a swear word!” like it was the worst possible thing in the world. Right, the All-speak. It amuses him to realise they could’ve had this entire session in Turkish.

The Avengers arrived then, having been watching the clock, and they speak to Osman for a while in the kitchen. Loki wandered in after a little while, bored with waiting in the living room.

“So, yes, I think if I could get a letter at the least from Lady Eir, that would work, but you’d still need you mother or father here if they can reverse this spell.”

“Alright, I will send word. They will either arrive within three day- as is my father's way- or he will send a letter.” Thor says as he is distracted by watching Loki jump up and up and up trying to reach the basket of fruit in the center of the kitchen island. Steve is the closest, so he gets up and pulls the basket off the island, and helps Loki pick out a fruit. He picks the banana.

They finishes up then, and Osman promises to contact Shield with his findings, and return tomorrow.

“Loki, would you like to see Mother and Father?” Thor asks as Loki takes the last bite of his banana.

“Yes!” Loki’s head whips to look at Thor, smiling hopefully. “Are we going home now?”

Thor frowns “not just yet- but Mother and Father are coming here!” Thor catches himself when Loki’s face fell too. “All we have to do is tell Heimdall that we need them here.”

“How do we do that?!” Loki gets excited, standing up and pulling at Thor’s shirt. Thor thinks at this point in their childhood, he and Loki knew how Heimdall’s sight works, but he feels like embellishing it just a bit to make it more fun for his little brother.

“Well first we must go outside,” Thor says, standing and taking Loki’s hand.

“Ah- Are you sure that’s a good idea Thunderdrum?” Tony asks from across the table.

“I’m sure it would be find if you all came with us?” Thor suggests, inviting them to play along. No one else actually knows what to do, but they all follow anyway for the pleading look Loki give from his chair next to Thor.

“So how did we call this guy?” Clint asks when they all make there way out to the balcony.

Thor figures Heimdall's already watching, as he’s said the watchers name already, but he’s trying to make this as fun for Loki as possible so he pulls Loki unto his shoulders and says “First we must get the Watchers attention-”

“HEIMDAAAAAAALL!!!!” Loki screams up at the sky, giggling. 

“State who you are little one, last time Heimdall saw you, you were grown.” Thor says, laughing at Loki’s enthusiasm, still hoping this will all turn out well. That Heimdall will see Loki is not threat, and relay Loki’s presence as just that. 

“Hi Heimdal! It’s me, Prince Loki! Thor says I was an adult and that I got turn into a child again because of a sorcerer! I don’t remember it though!” Loki stared up at the sky, perhaps waiting for a reply, and when after a second when they aren’t pulled away by the bifrost, Thor tells Loki;

“Tell him why we’ve called Loki.”

“Oh yeah! Oh… uh… Thor…” he look down, and Thor strains to look up at Loki “I don't really remember…” Loki looks scared that he can't remember what they were doing, or maybe ashamed...

“It’s okay Loki, I will tell him.” he looks past Loki to the clouded evening sky and shouts “Oh great and most wise Gatekeeper-” This makes Loki giggle “-we need you to inform our Mother and Father that they are needed on Midgard, the mortal’s doctors wish to speak with them. It is about Loki, and it is quite urgent! Also Lady Eir is required,” he remember to say.

“Why do they have to bring Lady Eir?” Loki whines, “She can't come. She’ll make me drink that nasty medicines!”

“He’s only worry what Doom’s spell might have done to you, Loki. We really don't have a lot of sorcerers here, so Thor probably just wants one of your people who knows more about curses to come have a look at you.” Bruce is the one to answer.

“But she’ll make me drink that nasty medicines.” Loki whines louder, then looks up and opens his mouth then pauses and sighs.

When after a minute nothing happened and Thor is about to thank to gatekeeper he hears Tony shout “and I request some of your finest ale!”

“Tony!” Bruce reprimands.

“What!? I mean if we’re shouting requests at the sky I might-”

 

“I’d like whatever you’ve got that’s strongest!” Steve’s shout interrupts the billionaire.

Everyone laughs for a minute, and then Thor says to the sky “Yes! Ale sound magnificent Heimdall! Thank you my friend!”

Thor set Loki down then, but Loki keeps watching the sky…

“Heimdall can not speak back to us Loki.” Thor hopes that’s the only reason Loki keeps starring.

Loki points up and says “it’s Ikol, he came back.”

Why does Loki seem happy to see the bird that attacked him earlier that day?

 

“Okay!” Loki shouts, and runs back toward the building, not waiting for any of the adults.

The boy went on and on nonstop from the minute the went back inside. This was manageable of course as long was he was constantly being watched but when they couldn’t sit him down to eat, things turned around completely. Loki was terrified of the food, he insisted anything they tried to feed him was bubbling or moving or poisoned. He kicked and screamed and at one point bit Natasha when they reluctantly resorted to holding his nose until he needed to breath and forcing a bit of food in his mouth. Needless to say, none of them liked any of it but it was the only option they could think of since he’d hardly eaten anything besides a few bits of eggs and a banana the whole time he’s been with them, and he couldn't be reasoned with.

Loki was bawling by the time they managed to get a decent amount of food into him, and Thor carried the hysterical child to bed.

“Please stop this, Brother.” Thor grunted as he dragged Loki by the elbows out of the elevator. Loki had gone slack as soon as Thor had set him down, and really Thor feels like what he’s doing has to be some form of child abuse.

“No no NO NO NOOOO!” Loki screeched digging his heels into the carpeted hallway. Thor gets frustrated again and picks the boy back up.

He drops Loki onto the bed, and Loki slide onto the ground, dragging the blanket with him.

Loki needs more help then Thor can provide, and the older brother so desperately wishes he knew what to do. Thor can keep Loki from hurting himself. That’s easy. Thor can keep up with Loki’s energy levels. That’s easy. But for the life of him he has no idea how to get it into Loki’s head that he’s okay. That it’s okay to eat. That he needs to eat. That by the Norns he is going to suffocate under that blanket!

Thor drops down next to Loki and yanks the blanket away from his face, and sees he isn’t moving, his eyes are wide, and his breathing shallow.

Loki doesn’t like the dark.

“Loki look at me.” Thor moved Loki’s face away from the floor. “it's not dark anymore. You are fine dammit.” and maybe there’s more force in his voice than necessary. Maybe he’s gotten a bit too frustrated.

Loki’s eyes flicker to him, then away, then everywhere. He struggles suddenly, trying to untangle himself from the blanket. Thor helps him, and when he pulls Loki into his lap and Loki doesn't struggle, he hugs him. “You are alright Loki, I promise you.”

They sleep on the floor that night in a nest of blankets and sheets and pillows with the lights on.  
\-----

Thor wakes to Loki violently shaking his shoulder.

“What?” he groans jerking away, and nudging Loki with his elbow.

“Wake up! Huginn and Muninn are at the window!” Comes Loki voice, filled with excitement. This does nothing to wake Thor up any faster. 

When he does manage to pry his eyes open, Loki is sitting over him still telling him to “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!” and there is no daylight filtering through the curtains. Loki has woken him up in the middle of the night.

Then Thor hears a loud tap tap tap tap from the window. He gets up and moves sluggishly toward the window, and opens the curtains. There, two ravens greet him on the other side, and though Thor knows they would understand, he just turns around and walks toward the door.

“Where are you going?!” Loki shouts, running out the door after Thor, and taking his hand as they head toward the elevator.

“To let them-” a yawn stops him “-in Little Brother. The balcony is the only entrance from this high into the tower.”

Their father’s ravens fly around the living room when Thor lets them in, cawing happily before each perching on a prince; Hugin on Thor’s shoulder, and Munin on Loki’s head, making the little prince laugh.

Thor laughs too, before finally questioning the birds. “What has Father to say to us that he sends you both so quickly?” he worries that Odin is refusing to come, and that this is him summoning his sons back to Asgard, and of course Thor wants that eventually, but not now, not when there is a plausible chance of clearing Loki’s name.

Munin caws a little, and lifts one of his legs off Loki’s head. There were two little letters tied to Munin’s leg, one addressed to each prince.

“Read mine first, Stóri Bróðir.”

Thor sits on the couch, and asks Jarvis to turn the Lights up.

“Dearest Loki,” Thor begins with a chuckle and yes, this was definitely written by Mother “I’m sorry I must keep my letter short, but your father and I want you to know we have missed you very much, and we are looking forward to seeing you and your brother very soon. In the mean time, we want you to keep out of trouble and listen to your Brother. Your father has asked Munin and Hugin to stay with you both, if there’s anything you want use to bring you from home, or that you wish to say to us, send a letter with one of the boys, and we’ll do what we can. Until then, love Mamma and Pabbi.”

“Love you too Mamma!” Loki Shouts at the ceiling.

“And what about Pabbi?” Thor questions, maybe a little too seriously.

“Oh right! I love you too Pabbi! Lots and lots and lo-ooots!”

Thor can’t help himself, he’s too gleeful from the words he never thought he’d hear from Loki ever again. Thor divebombs him into an embrace, practically squishing the boy “And what about me? Do you love Stóri Bróðir too?”

“Get off meee!” Loki squeals.

“Only if you tell me how much you love me.” he teases, and the ravens ruffle there's feather, churtling on the back of the couch.

“Alright alright! I love you!” Loki giggles “Now get off me!”

“And I you, Loki.” Thor says sitting up. He watches a Loki for a minute, as Loki watches him back.

“What?” Loki questions.

“How many… of your friends are here right now Loki?” Thor has to ask this, because Loki has not made mention of them this whole time, and while Thor is glad of it, it still doesn’t seem like it’s right.

“Thori and Fenrir and the Whispers and the Corpses and Hela.” Loki answers quickly, without even looking around to check.

“And, uh, why have you not been talking to any of them?” Thor prefers to ask, instead of asking who Thori and the Whispers were.

“Becauuuuuse I don’t know.” Loki shrugs, his eyes roaming to the area behind the couch to watch something.

And of course Thor isn't going to push this any farther. That Loki is ignoring them, is a blessing he’s not going to mess with.

“And I don’t suppose you are tired enough we may go back to bed?”

“Nope” he says without turning back to Thor.

“Well how about we find something for Hugin and Munin to eat in the kitchen?” and the Ravens chirp happily at this suggestion. Thor puts his and Loki’s letters in his pocket at the brother’s make their way to the kitchen.

Thor chops up a few of the vegetables and fruits he finds in the kitchen, and places them in two separate bowls. Loki gets upset at one point, when Thor will not let him handle the knife himself, but quietly and with silent frustration, peels the orange that Thor hands him. Loki does a messy job if pealing too, with much of the white rind left on it, but regardless as soon as it leaves Loki’s hands the ravens give Thor no time to cut it up before plucking it from his hand and ripping it apart themselves.

“Ha ha! They Like my orange the be~est!” Loki sings, and Thor thinks that was Munin and Hugin’s plan all along, because they are such intuitive birds.

Thor is just setting the two filled bowl out for the ravens when he realizes something- Loki has had no ill reaction to the food which had been in front of him, not even the faintest of displeasure. Quickly, while Loki is watching the birds eat, Thor retrieves a plate from the cabinet and slices the last apple onto it, and passes it in front of Loki as nonchalantly as he can manage. “Join them, Brother.”

Thor holds his breather when Loki looks up at him, then down at the apple slices. His little brother picks one up, and watching Thor warily, bits it in half.

“Thank you Loki,” Thor sighs, then smiling says “why don't you try them in with this,” and fetches a jar of peanut butter- the smooth kind because he does not much like the crunchy kind- and passes it to Loki as well.

Loki is holding his half eaten apple slice rather tensely and Thor’s heart drops when he thinks Loki is about to protest, and then Hugin- or it could be Munin, Thor honestly isn't sure- looks up and screeches at them!

Thor jumps in surprise, but Loki simply yells “Bwaaaa!” back at the Raven, and laughing readily eats the rest of the slice in his hand, and another two before finishing the rest off with the peanut butter. Thor watches from a few paces back, fearing that any interference will stop Loki from eating, and once their father’s birds and Loki are finished eating, they all move to the floor above.

Thor decided once they’re down there that because Loki is nowhere near tired, and because it’s been days since Loki last bathed, that that would be a good way to pass some of the night. Thor doesn’t have any bath toys for Loki but that doesn’t stop Loki from blowing every pile of bubbles, as Thor actually did have a bottle of that, at every target he could; Thor, Muninn and Huginn, and unfortunately Ikol and Thori (who Thor learned was a talking Hell Hound puppy, and refused to ask anymore).

“Close your eyes little brother,” Thor instructs before pouring a cup of water over Loki’s head to rinse out the shampoo out of his hair.

“Stóri Bróðir, can we go see this Midgardian city tomorrow?” Loki asks, whipping the extra water out of his eyes “I don't know if we did that when I was an adult, but I don't remember it, and this building’s gotten boring.”

“Perhaps, but only after Dr. Osman has come by, and so I think we will only have the afternoon…” There are a few places Thor had enjoyed visiting when he first came to New York that he think Loki might enjoy- this Loki anyway- but he won't mention them, as he doesn't know how well the Avengers being seen with the little boy everyone saw supposedly about to jump from their tower will go over with their media, or how what could happen if they learned it was Loki. Or even worse, as there was even less that he could do, if Loki had a fit and hurt someone else.

No, Thor doesn’t think they’ll be going anywhere tomorrow, but he’s not going to say that now.

“I don’t like that man, Thor. That Doctor Osman.” Loki says later when Thor is helping him dress into green and brown pajamas with little midgardian monkeys all over them. Huginn and Muninn rest in the princes’ nest of blankets of the floor.

“I mean-” he starts when his head pops back out of the top of the shirt “-he wasn't a mean person, but I … Mamma and Pabbi said I wasn't to talk with anyone about my friends besides Lady Eir, the way he wanted to talk. He asked too many question.”

“It’s alright,” Thor stands and leads Loki back to their bed “he’s a mind healer Loki, it’s his occupation to ask you question. Perfectly safe, I give you my word.”

“When I’m an adult, do I fight well? Do we fight together often?” Loki asks rolling into the bed, seemingly forgetting what’s they’d just been saying. In the back of his mind Thor actually thinks Loki stores every bit of information in his mind, and simply has to move from one to the next to the next because… well because it’s Loki he’s always been that way, Thor thinks.

But regardless of that, this is something Thor was hoping Loki wouldn’t ask, but that he had been anticipating nonetheless.

“Yes we fight together often,” Thor answers laying next to Loki. “And you fight with astonishing passion, and you fight with your magic so much better than with any weapon, save maybe your daggers.”

“I can do magic!?” Loki squeaks “Pabbi will let me do magic?!”

“Yes, of course-” and because he doesn’t want to go where this conversation is headed he says “Now! It’s four in the morning, you need to sleep-”

“NO! No I don’t-”

“I know you don’t want to but all the lights are on, there are no shadows for The Other to hide in, and, and I will stay awake. How about that? I will watch over you and none shall harm you.”  
\------

It's hours later, when Loki has finally fallen deeply enough asleep and Thor is try not to himself- not wanting his brother to wake up again and think Thor has broken his promise to watch over him- when he remembers the letters from his parents, and decides reading the one addressed to him will be a good way to stay awake, at least for a minute. He digs the letter out of his pocket carefully, so as not to wake Loki who is using his upper arm as a pillow.

Thor,

There are many things I have kept from you and Loki, and the longer time goes on the less I think it for the best. When Loki first went mad at the discovery of his heritage, I dismissed it as just that- grief and confusion, and a loss of self. When Heimdall came to us and told us that Loki was alive, and describe his behavior on Midgard, I knew it was not for the same reasons, but I was hoping you would be able to return him home before anymore damage was done.

As you have no doubt seen, the state of your brother’s mind is a troubling one. I wish I could say it was but a temporary madness, but it is not Thor. Your brothers mind plagues him with false spirits, and monstrous stalkers. If he is of the age Heimdal has estimated, then your mother and I have not yet explained to him that his mind if fooling him, and he believes his hallucinations to be real. Do not try to persuade him otherwise until your mother and I arrive with Lady Eir. Had I the room on this small bit of parchment I would explain more. Until we arrive, I expect you to keep your brother safe.  
Love to you both,  
-Odin

Thor reread the his father’s letter a few times, trying to wrap his tired mind around all of it. He now knew his brother had been suffering this way his whole life while Thor stood by in all his ignorance. But more importantly, he told himself, this was not a mystery needed to be solved anymore. And childish as it may sound he was glad his parents would be here soon to help. They would clearly know what to do much better than he.

Just three days and all would be well.  
\----

Thor wakes up and the room is dark. He wakes up and there is no pressure on his arm and his heart stops.

“Jarvis where is my brother!?” he shouts as he pushes himself up quickly, and turns on the bedside lamp.

“Prince Loki is currently with the rest of the team in the common area, Mr. Odinson.”

Nodding to himself that, yes, Loki will be okay without him for another few minutes, Thor stands up and walks to his dresser.

“What time is it now? What time did my brother awaken?”

“The time is now 12:46 in the afternoon. Your brother awoke at 7:53 this morning, gaining a total of two hours and fifty-one minutes of sleep. I informed Miss Romanoff immediately, as she had was already awake, and thought you may wish to continue sleeping, so he has not been alone at any point this morning.”

“You will wake me next time, regardless.” He says pointedly, then “Has anything happened this morning? Has Dr. Osman returned?” and proceeds to dress and ready himself for the day.

“Prince Loki ate a full bowl of oatmeal this morning, though he put an unhealthily excessive amount of sugar in it, and played with Huginn, Muninn and Miss Romanoff for the next hour before the rest of the team joined them. Dr. Osman arrived and spoke with the Prince for an hour- of what I am not authorised to say due to confidentiality agreements but if you must know, Sir can over ride my security settings for that hour if you like.

“Sense then your brother’s attention has been preoccupied by his hallucinations. He named Fenrir, Narfi and Vali, and Thori thus far.”

“Thank you Jarvis,” he says, and leaves for the elevator. The elevator stops on the right floor and he makes his way down the hall to the common room a little faster than he'd like to admit, eager to see his brother.

"Greeting friends," Thor says, eyes searching for Loki.

“Hey," say all but Clint who doesn't look away from where his hands are places in Loki’s staring tensely at one another.

"There's still some breakfast left in the kitchen if you're hungry." Pepper says when, with lightning reflexes, Loki suddenly slapped the top of Clint’s hands distracting everyone.

“FUCK! Ow! Uncle! Uncle!” the archer shouts, attempting to shake the pain off his hands.

“You knew he was- I told you he was quick!” Steve tries to say through laughter.

Electing not to eat just then, Thor takes Clint's place in front of Loki, who loves this new game, while explaining about their parents arrival to his friends. That yes they will likely be staying in the tower, and will expect a floor of their own. That they will want time alone with he and Loki before any talk is had with Midgard's leaders. And that, yes the Lady Eir will come, and Likely a few guards, who yes, can stay on the same floor at the rest of the avengers, and a great many other thing.

"Well that explains the birds. They're destroying my furniture and all Loki would say was "their names are Huginn and Muninn and they're my Pabbi's birds". Seriously I'm charging your dad for my couch." Says Tony.

"You can't tell Pabbi what to do! He's your King!" Loki says snottily, looking away from his game and give Thor the distracts he needs to smack Loki's hands.

"Midgard is under our protection Loki, not our Rule." Thor says, then turns to Tony. " But truly, don't make mention of it, he is a king and, in most realms at least, it is impolite to make demands of payment of a King, especially from as rich a man as you Tony. Father with apologies and offer to pay for it. The polite thing to do will be to decline, and if it truly matters I shall pay you back for it."

"Right, yeah, no it's fine. Just joking." Tony trails off a little awkwardly, thinking better than to try joking with the God King of Gods.  
\---

The rest of the day is quiet, and only in hindsight will they all realise this was not a sign to relax, but rather to be on guard. To be specific, hindsight kicked in at precisely 7:33pm

 

The next few days are difficult to get through for everyone, but especially the brothers. By the afternoon that the Asgardians are meant to arrive Loki had gained three self (or two Ikol and one Jorgramandr) inflicted injuries, had twice escaped the penthouse floors sending the entire tower into lockdown for several hours each, causing Tony and Pepper to have to calm their furious employees who were given little explanation, and slept and eaten practically not at all. By the time the Asgardians are meant to arrive Thor has gain sixteen dark, ugly bruises from several attempts to stop Loki from harming both himself and the others, chased Loki what Jarvis calculated at Steve's joking request to be about five miles around the tower, and not slept for the last day and a half. By the times the Asgardians arrived, ten in total in a blinding flash of light that engulfs The Tower's balcony, the day had already gone to Hell in a handbasket.

"Let me GOOOOOOO!" Loki screamed. "I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I'LL KILL YOU I HATE YOU LET ME GO!"

Thor doesn't respond, too tired to think. Knowing reasoning is pointless he only focused on keeping Loki from hurting himself again and remains stoic on the hallway floor, wishing there was more he could do, wishing Loki had slept so he could have slept as well, wishing his parents would arrive already.

"I HATE YOU! LET ME GOOOOOO! AAAAHHH!" The boy's kicking starts again more furiously, his chest heaving and pushing desperately away from Thor, but going nowhere despite.

Thor's vision blur, so he closes his eyes " you're okay, I love you, you're okay..." he mumbles uselessly.

"Be more gentle Thor!" Thor hears his father's worried voice coming from the entrance to the common room. He opens his eyes to see his father hurrying over. "You don't need to keep him still, just in place!"

All Thor can say is "Sorry" before giving Loki a bit more slack- which the boy takes full advantage of.

"NOOOOOOOO!" The child screeches. "NOOOOO! NO NO NO NOOOOOOOO!”

"Do you know why he is screaming?" Odin asks, too calmly in Thor's opinion, taking up the job of keeping Loki's thrashing head from hitting his brother.

“He’s believed most he sees to be an imposter of themselves since yesterday evening, and since he has figured out how to leave these levels of the Tower I’ve had to physically stop him- I’m sorry Father I knew not how else to do it.” he says with some effort through his exhaustion.

"There often isn't any other way, my son. All will be well in a moment. Hush Loki, hush, I'm here, Pabbi’s here." Thor watches as his father carefully releases Loki's little head and fishes around in a satchel Thor hadn't noticed, that held the insignia for the royal healers

“Release me Changeling!” Loki screeches, nearly wriggling out of his brother's grip. Odin for his part seems unconcerned as he pulls out a series of small vials and sets them in a line on the floor beside himself. Then looks to Loki, who for his own part has gone quite, well that not right, he still making noises, but his mouth has sealed itself shut. With a little sigh, as if resigning himself to what he's about to do, Odin reaches out a pinches Loki's nose, not releasing it even as Loki tries to back away only to find Thor chest.

"Not your first rodeo then?" Thor asks with a bit of a laugh, not at all worried for Loki, knowing he'll open his mouth when he needs.

"My first what?" His father ask brow furrowing in confusion.

"It's a midgardian says- this is not the first you had to do this?"

"No, it's not. He very, very much dislike this, even in the healthiest state of mind." He fumbles one handed to pop the cork out of a bright pink vial and hold it up to Thor's nose with a grin "I don't blame him in the slightest."

Thor gags on the smell "That is foul!" He says thinking back on Loki earlier complaints.

Thor and Odin watch as the littlest member of their family continues to resist, his face turning pink then red as time goes on. He stops struggle putting all his effort into holding his breath, scowling at the man he thinks pretends to be his father in pure and furious resistance.

"He'll be okay." Odin reasure Thor, when he see the older brother’s worry starting to grow on his face.

True to the claim Loki gives quickly after, and his father allows him a second to catch his breath, not releasing his nose, before tipping his son's head back a pouring the thick pink liquid into the child's mouth. Loki makes to spit the medicine out and Odin clamps his hand over Loki's mouth.

"Swallow it." Thier father says, giving Loki that look of warning authority that can only come from years of parenthood. 

Loki calms down properly just as Odin predicted and lays quietly in his brother's arms, giving no greeting when he finally realises just who's in front of him. Thor shift the two of them into a more comfortable position when he’s absolutely sure Loki isn't going to run off screaming.

“Will you drink the rest quickly, then?” Odin asks, offering vial of what Thor can only describe and dark green ick to Loki. Loki only stares down at the vial for a minute, gathering the courage to drink it no doubt. He presses it to his lips slowly, and he drinks it in small agonizing sips, his eyes watering with tears, and Thor pitties his brother completely.

Thor rubs Loki’s arms in support as he takes the last vial from his father, tears spilling and little hiccups escaping him.

“Drink it faster and it’s all over.” Odin says sternly, but Thor can see how he hates this as much as Loki, as no parent could enjoy their child's misery, or the knowledge that the child likely thinks they do.

Loki take the vial to his mouth quickly and swallows it all in two large gulps before he gags on it.

“No. Don’t throw up. You’re fine.” Odin stops him with a hand over his mouth again. When it’s clear Loki can keep it all down, his father makes to take him from his brother, and the boy makes no protest as he’s sat in his father’s lap.

"Pabbi." Loki mutters, wrapping his arms around his father's neck.

“I know, that was horrible wasn't it?” his father says.

“Is it always so?” Thor asks.

“No, only when he hasn’t taken them for quite a while.” his father answers. “he’ll drink them easily enough this evening.”

"No I won’t." Loki mutters in defiance. “... I don’t feel good…”

Odin rubs his sons back gently, "No, I don't suspect you do. Let’s go see Mamma, she always helps." He says softly rising with Thor's help and adjusting Loki in his arms. The living room is crowded with people, all wearing worried expressions as the two men entire. Thor's mother is the first to rush forward, elegant as ever, to take her youngest for herself.

“Hi baby,” she coos as he tucks his head into her shoulder.

“I wanna go home.”

“I know, I bet you do, but we’ve a few things to do before we can.” she turn around to Tony, who, along with the others had introduced himself to the Asgardians while their king had B-lined for his screaming child. “Is there a private room we make take for a little while, Mr. Stark?”

Pepper shows the royals, as well as a few guards, out of the common room in Tony’s place. Once seated with the guards standing watch at the door Thor simply watched Loki as he nodded off in his mother's lap. 

"How have you been Thor, how does Midgard far?" Frigga asks.

Thor smiles at her "Oh, I'm well. Midgard is clearly much changed."  
\--

Thor and his parents enjoy their shared company for many an hour before Thor succumbs to a much needed rest, right there on the couch. When he waked the room is bathed in evening light, and a quilts has been draped over him. The guard left standing outside the sitting rooms informs Thor his family has moved

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this years and years ago when I was like 17 and schizophrenia was one of my hyper fixations, i dis all kinds of research on it, most of which i completely forgotten by now, and fanfiction was my outlet for all the stuff i was looking up. I'm not that proud of this exactly, like its kind of embassasing, but even though I'm not gonna finish it, not posting it makes all the work i've done a complete waste.


End file.
